Washington, DC — Unita rebels in Angola have claimed responsibility for Friday's attack in which at least 152 people were killed and more than 150 injured, by Unita's own account. In a statement released Monday in Portugal, the former colonial power in Angola, the rebels said 25 soldiers and 11 policemen escorting the train were killed. It also said the train, which was heading east from the capital Luanda towards the town of Dondo, was carrying fuel, food and military equipment.
In a statement, the Angolan government denied the train was a military convoy and accused the rebels of shooting civilians as they scrambled to escape from the burning carriages.
A US State Department Spokesperson said it was difficult to get independent confirmation of what exactly happened but described the attack as a "horrible occurrence". She also said the train was a regularly scheduled passenger service which travelled three times a week.
The attack coincided with a two-week visit to Angola by a delegation funded by the US government and comprising members from the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and the International Foundation for Election Systems. The objective of the mission is to assess Angola's readiness for next year's presidential and legislative elections.
Some reports say the timing of the attack is a warning to the US delegation that Unita will derail any process it does not support. The State Department spokesperson declined to speculate on the impact of Friday's attack on the team's assessment and said the US would wait to see its recommendations before commenting further.
Speaking after a meeting with members of the delegation, Angola's Interior Minister Fernando Dias Dos Santos told reporters that rebel attacks will not force his government to delay the elections. "It is the government's job to ensure order and security for the people and these actions will not last long," said Dos Santos, describing Friday's attack as a political error by Unita leader Jonas Savimbi.
Three months ago, Savimbi called on the Roman Catholic Church to intervene to bring about peace in the war-torn southern African nation, but his rebels have increased their military operations in recent weeks saying they were a response to a new government offensive.
In addition to displacing about four million people, out of a total of 12 million, the 26-year-old war between the Angolan government and Unita has claimed an estimated 500,000 lives and left another 100,000 mutilated.
